


Jules Verne Never Said There'd Be Days Like This

by lucidscreamer



Series: Gainful Employment Series [10]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: AU-gust 2020, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Dimension Travel, Gen, Humor, POV Kaiba Seto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26208877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucidscreamer/pseuds/lucidscreamer
Summary: "I don't recognize the city," Yami said, drawing Seto's attention to the window (more of a brass-framed porthole, really) that Yami was now peering out of.Striding over, Seto elbowed his rival aside and stared down at... Well, it was Domino City if someone had shoved it in a blender with 19th century London as imagined by Jules Verne and then hit frappe.(The one where Seto gets blasted into a steampunk alternate universe and is extremely unhappy about it.)
Relationships: Kaiba Seto & Yami Yuugi
Series: Gainful Employment Series [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/881826
Comments: 10
Kudos: 10
Collections: AUgust 2020





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts:  
> 20\. Fireworks (100 YGO Themes)  
> 07\. alternate universe (30 Sci-Fi Prompts)  
> 31\. 2 of any of the above combined [wildcard: steampunk & 21\. professional rivals au](AU-gust 2020)
> 
> Series:  
> Gainful Employment  
> Epilogue: Crackfic Division
> 
> NOTES: This fic is an AU of an AU. I regret nothing. (That's a lie.) Short chapters because this is a stress-reliever fic and long chapters mean STRESS.
> 
> Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is the creation of Kazuki Takahashi. No ownership of the canon characters, settings, or events is claimed and none should be implied.

  
A storm was brewing over Domino City. The rain was a mere trickle yet, but the heavy, lowering clouds spoke of the downpour to come. Wind howled between the tall buildings, snatched at the umbrellas of those denizens brave enough to dare the midnight streets, and teased the airships in their high moorings. Shadows stirred restlessly in dark alleys and crept along the rooftops like the questing tentacles of some eldritch god, searching... But for what?

On top of a dark office building in the business district, a strange drama was unfolding. Two figures, bound in ropes and looking quite unhappy about it, watched a third as it tinkered with a hulking metal conglomeration of strange bits and pieces that appeared to have been cobbled together from brass gears, assorted odds and ends, and the leftover parts of a hundred model train sets. Of course there was a big red button. (Unusually, said big button was red because it had been upholstered in scarlet velvet.)

Above the tableau lightning split the sky, illuminating the thick black clouds before striking a tall copper pole erected for just that purpose. The device it was attached to lit up with eerie purple energy and a manic voice shouted into the shocked silence that followed:

"Which part of 'I am taking over your company' does your feeble, plebeian mind not grasp?!"

"The part where you think you'll actually succeed," sneered the taller of the two tied-up figures.

Lightning crackled once more across the clouds before grounding itself on the copper pole and making the strange machine glow even brighter. Electricity danced wildly over its gleaming surfaces as a high, mechanical whine built to a deafening pitch. In order to be heard, the third figure raised his voice accordingly.

"And now, Seto Kaiba, you will bow to my demands or your precious little brother will pay the ultimate price!"

Whatever Kaiba's answer might have been was swallowed up by a thunderous blast that painted the rooftop with eye-searing, rainbow colored fireworks.

* * *

  
In another Domino City another Seto Kaiba set about his daily devotions, sacrificing spring water and roasted beans to the coffee gods on the altar of his Coffeenator 3000. The ritual soothed Seto's nerves and put him in a good mood (which was sure to be ruined by contact with whichever irritating human being was first to cross his path afterward, but he'd enjoy it while it lasted). 

As if to prove that nothing lasts forever and good things even less, the doors of Seto's office swung open to admit the unlucky mood-ruiner for today. ("Unlucky" because if Seto was going to have his mood ruined, he figured he shouldn't be the only one. Misery loved company, after all.)

"Why are you here?" Seto demanded, his first cup of life-giving elixir clutched like a talisman to his chest. Had it been an actual talisman, he would've flung it at the man silhouetted in the opening because if ever there was an evil that required warding off, it was the one now darkening Seto's doorway.

Yami Mutou ignored the question and sauntered into the office as if he owned the place. Seto got a good look at the other man's expression and felt all the blood vacate his face as if heading for safer climates.

"Why are you grinning?" Seto didn't like it when Yami grinned like that (or at all, really). Historically, it didn't bode well for people in Yami's immediate vicinity, most especially people named Seto Kaiba. "What have you done now?"

Still infuriatingly uncommunicative, Yami settled onto the sofa and crossed his legs at the knee, the very picture of insouciance. Seto was about two seconds from flinging his mug at Yami's head regardless of whether a coffee cup could actually ward off evil; at the very least, it would give the pharaoh a bruise and a good drenching.

Stalking over to his desk, Seto slammed his mug down and growled. "They say everything happens for a reason. So when I murder you with a blunt object, kindly remember that I had a reason."

"Really, Kaiba, there's no need for violence." The bastard had the gall to look amused rather than offended.

Seto opened his mouth to snap back that there was always a need for violence where Yami was concerned but was rudely interrupted by a the world disappearing in a very loud, very colorful explosion.

His last thought before everything went dark was that it had better not be his overprotective dragon trying to obliterate Seto's precious coffeemaker again....


	2. Chapter 2

As his vision came back, Seto found himself... on the Kaiba Corp airship? He looked around more closely and revised his conclusion. It was the KC airship if someone had redecorated, trending heavily to polished brass fittings, dark varnished woods, and a surplus of crimson velvet.

What the hell?

Seto stared at the improbable decor and hoped he was just suffering from an aneurysm. Maybe this was all just misfiring neurons as his brain started to shut down and it would all be over soon. He sat up and instantly regretted it. His brain felt like a timpani and his pulse was the drummer living his best life as he applied himself with enthusiasm to his solo. Seto began to wish for the sweet mercy of a swift death.

And then he heard it: The Voice.

"Either your decorating tastes have gotten a lot more esoteric or, as Yugi might say, we are not in Kansas anymore."

So much for a merciful death.

"If I can find a convenient house, I'm dropping it on you," Seto informed the bane of his existence (otherwise known as Yami Mutou). "And just FYI-- Whatever the hell is going on, I blame you."

Yami's eyebrows shot up. "How is this, whatever it may be, my fault?"

"I didn't say it was your _fault_. I said I was _blaming_ you." If only for the sake of his own sanity. Every bone aching and head still throbbing, Seto climbed slowly to his feet. Unfortunately, the overdone scenery didn't make any more sense from a new angle. "Where the fuck are we?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Offended for reasons he couldn't quite articulate, Seto snapped, "My guesses are at least twice as good as yours." After all, he was a genius.

But even a genius like Seto needed more to go on than "whatever circle of hell features red velvet wallpaper" before he could pinpoint their location. 

Now that he was back on his feet, Seto took a moment to really take in his surroundings and be even more horrified by what he found. Whoever had redecorated his airship was going to be fired with extreme prejudice -- possibly out of an actual cannon. Their tastes seemed to run toward the "Victorian brothel" end of the spectrum, if the wallpaper (still offensively velvet and most definitely red) was any indication. It wasn't improved by the eye-watering patterns on the layered carpets or the extremely old-fashioned furniture, though Seto supposed the polished brass wasn't too bad. Stainless steel would've been better, or chrome... 

Yami's voice yanked Seto out of his thoughts before they could descend into an uncharacteristic interior decorating spiral. 

"I don't recognize the city," Yami said, drawing Seto's attention to the window (more of a brass-framed porthole, really) that Yami was now peering out of.

Striding over, Seto elbowed his rival aside and stared down at... Well, it was Domino City if someone had shoved it in a blender with 19th century London as imagined by Jules Verne and then hit frappe. Maybe it was just because of the storm, but everything appeared sooty. The buildings weren't as tall as he expected and seemed darker without the reflective walls of glass he was used to seeing. There was no sign of his tower.

"This is just a nightmare brought on by lack of coffee and overdose of _you_ ," Seto growled, glaring at Yami so he wouldn't have to look at the brain-bending landscape below.

"Do you often have waking nightmares, Kaiba?"

Every damn day he went into the office and Yami was there, but fuck if Seto was giving Yami the satisfaction of telling him so. "Shut up."

"As well-reasoned as your argument is, I must reject it in favor of figuring out where we are, how we were brought here, and how to return us home."

Seto hated it when Yami made sense. 


End file.
